The drive to stamp out hunger is in full force again from now through April 30 during the 14th annual Alan Shawn Feinstein $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger campaign.
This is the 11th year Spooner House has participated in the program along with over 3,000 other agencies in raising a combined $1.25 billion dollars to fight hunger all across America.
The larger the contribution received by Spooner House, the greater the amount of Feinstein funds will be received to help in the lower Naugatuck Valley.
Last year Spooner House raised $49,748 in cash and nonperishable food donations during this campaign.
Spooner House is a facility that provides food and/or shelter and support services to approximately 3,000 men, women and children each year.
Spooner House is recognized as one of the most comprehensive emergency shelter programs in Connecticut and provides a week’s supply of groceries each month to participating families throughout the lower Naugatuck Valley. Last year Spooner House programs provided almost 160,000 meals to men, women and children, including seniors, veterans, the disabled and others, who may have otherwise gone without a meal.
Only gifts of cash, checks or non-perishable food received by April 30 will count towards the Spooner House total used to determine the amount of funds they will be eligible to receive from Mr. Feinstein’s challenge grant.
Non-perishable food donated will be valued at $1 per item.
The Feinstein million dollars will be divided proportionately among all agencies complying with the food drive formula. There will be a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $35,000 given to participating agencies. A full report of the results of this 2011 challenge will be posted on the Spooner House website by July.
“Again this year, we have seen another increase in the number of people in need of food assistance,” commented Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House. “As a result of job losses and increased medical expenses, many of these households are seeking assistance for the first time. People should simply not have to choose between medication and food. That’s why we are particularly grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this challenge to maximize contributions,” concluded Agamy.
Those who were unable to donate food are still encouraged to help.
Checks should be made payable and mailed to: Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton CT 06484. Donations may also be made via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at www.actspooner.org. Deliveries of non-perishable food items are also accepted at the above location Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donors may also set up a special time for food delivery by calling 203 – 225-0453.
In Ansonia, donations for the Spooner House’s Kathleen B. Samela Memorial Food Bank may also be brought to the office at Christ Episcopal Church 56 Cliff Street Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or call 203 – 734-2715 to arrange for drop offs at another time.
The $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger is an effective, grassroots effort to fight hunger in America.
Founded in 1991 by Alan Shawn Feinstein, a philanthropist from Cranston, RI, the Feinstein Foundation is dedicated to charity endeavors focused on the alleviation of hunger and the significance of the values of caring, compassion and brotherhood in the community service sector. Feinstein’s past $1 million challenges to fight hunger have raised one and one quarter billion dollars for over 3,000 agencies nationwide. Mr. Feinstein, a philanthropist from RI has a simple goal; he believes no one, not one person, should go without adequate food.
